Painter&#39;s and decorator&#39;s display-rack.



.I. DARLING.

FAINTER'S AND DECORATORS DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-19,1916.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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.I. DARLING.

PAINTERS AND DECORATORS DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-19,19I6.

PatenmdSept. 12, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN DARLING, OF AUGUSTA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 STEPHEN I4. I-IAUGI-I, OF AUGUSTA, INDIANA.

PAINTERS AND DECORATORS DISPLAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed February 19, 1916. Serial No. 79,438.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN DARLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Painters and Decorators Display-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in racks for the convenient and proper exhibition of wall paper samples to prospective customers, and also of paints and other exterior as well as interior surface finishes, and the object is to provide a portable dis: play device which can be folded into the compass of a suit-case, containing all of the samples, and carried from house to house by an xhibitor.

A further object is to provide such a suitcase structure as will be strong and durable as such, and which can be opened to form a display rack of practical utility, on very short order, one side of which will exhibit color schemes in paint and the like and the other side of which will afford means for wall paper display whereby decorations for walls, ceilings and borders may be exhibited in their proper relations to each other without tiring the exhibitor.

A further object is to provide convenient carrying receptacles for rule, order-blanks, cards and the like accessories used by the salesman.

I accomplish the above, and other objects which will hereinafter appear, by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective View of my invention folded in the form of a suit-case for convenient carrying. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of th device opened'in the form of a rack for displaying wall paper. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the suit case opened up to form a rack for the display of paints and the like. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rear or opposite side of the paper-display rack as shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 7, is a section on a larger scale illustrating the manner of hinging the front, back and middle suitcase members together.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The device in its folded or closed condition as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a middle member 8, near the end of which sides 9 and 10 are hinged by screws 11, which pass through lapped portions of all three of said members into a block 12 fixed rigidly at the hinge-corners of said middle member (see Fig. 7). The sides 9 and 10 have inwardly extending marginal flanges 13, which stiffen and strengthentheir respective members, and also, by overlapping the middle member 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 2, strengthen the folded or closed structure by hanging the weight of said sides directly from said middle member. Thus, by at-, taching a hand-strap 1 4 to the latter the weight of'all three members will be most advantageously supported from that one piece to which the handestrap is fastened, Hooks 15, attached to the side 9, hold the folded parts together by engagement with pins in the side 10.

The flanges 13 of the side members 9 and 10, are widened inwardly adjacent their hinged ends to reach the hinge-screws 11, in median lines between the two sides. The added strength which this widening affords, permits me to form adjacent trays 16, v16, which trays are hinged to the-body ofthat side member of which it is an extension and a part. These trays are joined together by elastic bands 17, 17, preferably attached outside to the middle of each, and by normally drawing the trays toward each other,

holding them closed against the middle member 8 in the folded or suit-case form of the device, and in correct positions for use in its display-rack forms.

When the suit-case is opened up to form a rack for the display of wall papers, the middle member 8 and side 9 are brought in oblique relation to each other with their ends on the floor, thereby forming a supporting'base, and the other side 10 is raised into alinement with the body 8, as shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. A wire loop 18 is attached to the cross bar 19, at the hinge-end of the member 8, and from this loop a book 20, of usual form, containing samples of wall pa. per to be displayed, but provided by me with a special hook 21, is suspended by the engagement of the hook 21, with said loop, as shown in Fig. 5. The book will rest against the board 22 of said member 8, and when the saleman desires to show the inner or lower samples he turns the overlying sheets up and back and passes them down between the members 8 and 9, in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 5, where they will remain without any further attention, and out of the way. The remaining sheets can then be lifted one at a time to show the patterns, and the raised sheets held by a spring 1 clamp 26, fastened to the inside of the member 10. Any part of a sample-book can be conveniently reached in this manner and the fatigue attending the holding of the sheets by the salesman during inspection by a customer is avoided, leaving him free to use his energy in exploiting his merchandise.

The depth of the flanges surrounding the member 8, is such as to provide a receptacle which is ample to held several sample books, particularly when the device is closed into a suit-case. While making a display, all but the one book to be shown is preferably removed, and to aid in this removal I provide a metal strap 27 which normally rests against the board 22, between said board and the books. The ends of this strap project out at right angles to it, within reach of the operator, so that by pulling on the strap-ends the strap will be drawn out and the books brought out within convenient reach. The flanges of member 8 are cut in at 29 to further assist in reaching the books or the leaves of a book, in manipulating same. Metal straps 30, on the lower cross-bar of the middle member 8 support the lower ends of the books.

It will be noted that the tray hinged to the member 10 supports the latter by bearing against the shoulder in the member 9 at the junction of member 9 with its tray, and that the tray hinged to the member 9 is held by the elastic straps in a substantially horizontal position. This tray is provided with clips to hold business cards, order blanks, a measuring rule and the like articles helpful to the salesman, which are presented for convenient use.

An elastic strap 31 is adapted to be removably secured across the lower end of the member 8, as shown, to hold the books from bagging down when the device is opened as shown in Fig. 4, to display the paint and tries schemes. The strap 31 also holds the in place while being carried in the 'e form of the device, as shown in In: the display rack of Fig. 4c, the ember-'8 and the side 10 are obpl'acet to form the base, and the side eva'it'ed in ne with member 8. The

' 's'p'acefb'etweefi the mehibers 8 and 9 is covereait 3'2, the'i'outer surface of which, and also the contiguous surfaces of the members 8 and 9, afford areas for the display of color samples, stencils and anything else that a salesman using the invention would desire to show. By raising the curtain access is afforded to drawers 33, on each side of the loop 18, in which samples of oils, varnishes and the like may be carried. In this form of the invention the tray-member of the side 10 becomes horizontal and affords another receptacle for accessories for the use of the salesman.

The operation of my invention has been so fully described in connection with the foregoing description. that further elaboration is deemed unnecessary.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as regards details of construction and arrangement, and as being embodied in certain precise forms, I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly or any more than is pointed out in the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction and arrangement, the omission of immaterial elements and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

I claim:

1. A folding display-rack comprising a middle member and two side members, one 011 each side of said middle member, both side members being pivotally connected with an end of said middle member, said side members having hinged portions swinging out of alinement with their body portions, one of saidhinged portions contacting with the other lower side member to support said upper side member, and the hinged portion of the lower side member being in a substantially horizontal position.

2. A folding display-rack comprising a.

middle member and two side members, one on each side of said middle member, both side members being pivotally connected with the same end of said middle member, said side members having portions swinging out of alinement with their body portions, one of said hinged portions contacting with the other lower side member to support said upper side member, and the hinged portion of the lower side member being in a substantially horizontal position.

3. A folding display-rack comprising a middle member and two side members, one on each side of said middle member, both side members being pivotally connected with the same end of said middle member, said side members having hinged portions swinging out of alinement with their body portions, one of the hinged portions contacting with the other lower side member to support said upper side member, the hinged portion of the lower side member being in a substantially horizontal position,

and elastic ties connecting said hinged portions with each other.

4. A folding display-rack comprising a middle member and tWo side members, one on each side of said middle member in the folded position of the rack, both side members being pivotally connected With the same end of said middle member and With each other, said side members having flanges which overlap the middle member in the closed positions of said members, and means to support a member in its raised position.

5. A display-rack in foldable sections adapted to be folded together into the form of a suit-case, and when opened having a space between them for the passage of turned-back leaves of a sample-book supported by one of said sections.

6. A display-rack in foldable sections comprising a middle and two side sections between and to Which the middle section is hinged, said sections When opened into a rack having separating spaces for the passage of turned-back leaves of a sample-book supported by the middle section, one of said sides being above the middle section in the rack-form of the device, and means on the raised section to hold up leaves of the sample book.

7. A display-rack in foldable sections having a space between the sections when opened for the passage of turned-back leaves, and having a loop from Which sample books are suspended, in combination With an outwardly adjustable strap means to move the book in and out on the rack.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 24th day of January, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and sixteen.

JOHN DARLING. a 3.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

